Do Tell
by Dr. Fluffmuffin
Summary: A series of oneshots based off of a list of one word writing prompts.
1. Sometimes

**I own nothing but the story.**

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Once, Lloyd asked Kai how much he missed his parents. Knowing that he'd lived so long without them, Lloyd had the impression that Kai would have a part of his heart that always felt empty, like he'd read about in books.

Upon uttering the question, Kai's smirk had melted into a grimace, and he said, somewhat solemnly, "Sometimes."

"Only that?" asked he, unable to believe his ears.

Kai shrugged, looking away and scratching his neck. "I've lived my whole life without them. I love them, sure, but they've been gone for so long, I can get by without thinking of them."

Nya expressed similar sentiments.

"I was two when they disappeared," said Nya, a sad smile teasing the corners of her lips, "I hardly even remember what they look like."

It was almost inconceivable. Lloyd had stared at her for a few solid seconds before she spoke again:

"I do miss them," she said, "but only sometimes."

Sometimes.

Not long after they had that conversation, Lloyd sent his father into the Cursed Realm. He missed him all the time.

He knew that Garmadon was alive and, by all accounts, well in the Cursed Realm, but the simple idea that Lloyd was going to spend the rest of his life without that figure in his life was daunting, and not a day went by where Lloyd didn't notice his father's absence. He'd spent most of his life without parents, and having to go through such a loss so soon after regaining them was like getting an arrow lodged into his chest.

That is what he thought of his father's banishment: an arrow in his chest. It sat right between his ribs, below his heart. It was a constant, aching presence in his life; some days he could function just fine, because he was used to having an arrow in his chest, but other days he couldn't accomplish a thing, because he had an arrow in his chest.

He hated it. He hated it with every fiber of his being.

It became even more unbelievable that Kai and Nya could only miss their parents "sometimes."

Then he found out about Wu.

Shortly after his father's monastery became his uncle's tea shop, Lloyd asked Wu how often he missed his brother.

"I do miss him sometimes, Lloyd."

He blinked. "Sometimes?"

Wu was rummaging around through several boxes of teabags, trying to sort them into proper categories. At Lloyd's statement, he stilled.

"I think of him everyday," Wu turned, his eyes frozen in distant resignation, "I do."

"But you only miss him sometimes?"

Wu's expression was somber. "Our relationship was rocky, Lloyd. I won't ask you to understand, but please, trust me when I say that I do miss him."

"But only sometimes."

"Those times are unbearable."

Lloyd could believe that. He missed his father all the time.

He didn't ask his mother if she missed him. He wanted to believe that he refrained out of respect, but a distant part of him knew that it was out of fear. Lloyd feared what his mother would say, feared that she would only miss her husband "sometimes."

Lloyd missed his father all the time, and he feared that he was the only one who did.

He didn't blame his brothers for not always missing his father. After all, Garmadon had been their enemy almost from the very beginning. The loss was a sad one, perhaps, but not one they wouldn't mourn more than they had to. Sometimes, the ninja missed him.

Lloyd sat down on a bench along the stone cobbled walkway of the temple grounds. The morning air was cool around him, the bench cold against his rear, forcing him into a shiver. The arrow in his chest shifted, pinching him in a new spot. It hurt.

Months had passed since Garmadon left. Kai once told him that the pain he felt would never quite disappear, but he would be able to make room for it. When Lloyd asked what happened next, Kai gave a joyless smile and said, "You move on."

Lloyd hadn't moved on. The pain had made a home in his mind and body, and he lingered on it, unable to leave it be. It hurt.

It hurt.

It hurt.

It hurt.

Sunlight shone off of the temple's roof as the sky turned from amethyst to a lovely hue of rose. The sun was rising, and the pain resurged with a violent fury. He bent forward as the arrow twisted and turned in his chest.

Garmadon loved watching the sunrise.

Because of Lloyd, the sun wouldn't rise for his dear father again.

Lloyd breathed in and out, slowly.

Sometimes, he wished that he could miss his father a little less.

* * *

 **This chapter is the beginning of a project I've been working on for a while. I hope you enjoy. :)**

 **Thank you for reading! I hope your day is full of sunshine and plenty of wholesome breakfast foods!**


	2. Red

Though it was long since Nya started donning robes of blue to match her element, Jay always associated her with red. When he thought of his girlfriend, and thought of how she would look daily, he didn't think of a particular outfit, not even the fine robes she wore as a samurai; he just thought of the color red.

In fact—he sighed as she walked into the living room and sat, before he himself dropped with a flop onto the couch's opposite end—he'd begun to consider the color as hers, and hers alone. Sure, Kai might wear it every single day, and Skylor would always rock that glorious head of hair, but red was something that Nya owned for herself, a trait she would show in ways she wouldn't realize.

Nya was an apple cheeked girl, a fact she hated, given that she thought her face was plump, but Jay adored it. Apple cheeks were fun to kiss, especially on the spot where her dimple would appear. Though apples came in many colors, he thought them best as red.

Her face was also heart shaped. If his knowledge of anatomy was correct (he was sure it was), then the average heart was very red, the reddest in the body. He gave that to Nya, thankful everyday that he got to hold the red in his hands, and hear its pounding equivalent whenever he gave her a hug.

There also were her lips, which she made sure were painted ruby in the mornings. While these lips did have a habit of staining glasses and teacups, Jay found himself laughing whenever he spotted the lovely hue during a wash.

Her nose was important in relation to her cheeks, as well, because roses blossomed over them whenever she was embarrassed, or laughed too hard, or was angry enough to punch a man. Granted, the last of those examples happened quite a bit on the Bounty, but Jay was always happy to see it.

Red was Nya's and it always would be.

He eyed her from the other end of the couch, eyed her and admired her like he did every day.

He almost didn't notice Kai in between them until he spoke.

"Can you stop?" his whisper was spoken like a yell, "I've been trying to pick my nose for the past ten minutes! Go ogle my sister somewhere else!"

Roses appeared over her cheeks as Nya chuckled. While Jay frowned and whispered an insulting retort at Kai, a little smile was on his face when he turned to face the television again.

Red certainly was her color, and hers alone.

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 **Thank you for reading!**


	3. Father

The ninja fought many battles in their day, battles that, when all hope seemed lost, they always managed to scrape out a win. When they had nothing left but their lives to lose, the ninja found a way to come out on top, arms raised and victorious.

In fact, it was miraculous. Lou Brookstone swore up and down that every grey hair on his head he could attribute to his son, given his choice in career. Over time, as the magnitude of his son's battles increased, he began to wait until after the fact for Cole to tell him all about it.

It wasn't something Lou was proud of; he hadn't the strength of will that people like Ed and Edna Walker did, who could bear the weight their child suffered whenever a crisis would come up. Lou couldn't watch his only son go through that, and besides, time and time again, the ninja proved reliable. They could win whatever battle they faced, and whatever trials came with it.

When Harumi and Garmadon began their merciless takeover of Ninjago City, the television in Lou's home played in his living area, its fuzzy screen going in and out of reception. Lou sat in the other room, at his kitchen table, all but one light off.

Dinner sat before him, but he didn't eat. He was waiting.

Lou never considered himself a strong father. In fact, he used the term 'parent' in a vague sense, for he'd always the idea that he was never meant to be one. A parent, a father, was someone who was supposed to guide their children, to be there for them, to support them, regardless of his state of being.

Parents like Ed and Edna Walker could do such things and more, perhaps a little overzealous at times, but always there. Lou was another story.

After his wife died, he'd ceased to be the father his son needed. He'd become a shell of that man, like what was left of a cicada after the insect flew away. That was all he'd been.

These days, he sometimes felt that that was all he ever was.

Cole grew up without him, turning into a person Lou had to love from a distance, until his boy came back to him.

Lou watched and waited from a distance, if that.

The television droned on, the news broadcasting the disaster in the city. Lou sat in his kitchen, elbows propped and hands folded as though in prayer beneath his chin. On nights such as this, when he waited for his son to save the day once again, the world weighed heavy on his shoulders.

He wished always that his wife was here to share the weight, because he'd never considered himself a strong father.

Never ever.

A scream echoed through the house as the cameraman met some unseen threat. Lou had to admire the stubborn tenacity of Ninjago's news crew. However grave the threat; they were there through it all.

And Lou was terrified.

He didn't show it, though. His son had proved to him that he could face being a ninja, that he was strong enough to support himself, so Lou loved him from a distance.

Tonight, he waited.

Empty eyes stared holes into the table as he waited for dawn. His son's fights were like this; they'd only get more hopeless until the very end, when they would pull through their last ounce of strength and save the day. They were always like this; his son would be just fine.

In the kitchen, he waited.

The cameraman filmed on as Lord Garmadon's stone giant tore Ninjago City apart. The reporter rambled in a frantic yell, updating the state of the city and its citizens, as well as the whereabouts of their saviors. They said that the Bounty was racing through the city, gathering its bounds.

Lou waited.

Time passed, then something happened. Lou felt it before anything else. It was a change in atmosphere, a disturbance in the air. Like the vibrations one feels after an earthquake, Lou felt a change as something hit him.

A buzzing noise sounded from the television as thundering claps and screams interrupted the reporter's yell.

Something was happening.

"It has them," said the reporter, "Garmadon —he has the ninja in his clutches!"

Lou waited, the knuckles on his hands turning shades lighter. Any moment now, his son would turn the tables and save the day.

Any moment now.

Any moment now...

A terrifying screech filled the air as something splintered and broke on the television screen. The reporter was silenced, leaving the subsequent crash to speak for itself. Though all that they were filming was cacophonous in nature, a hush fell.

Something had happened.

Little more was said from the reporter, and after a moment, the cameraman stopped filming, leaving a black and white screen to wash its blank stare over the empty living room.

A feeling overcame Lou, a horrible, sickening feeling that made his insides churn and his brow damp. Something had happened. Something had happened to the ninja, his family, his son.

Something happened; something horrible, crushing, unexpected.

Something happened to Cole.

He jumped when the phone began to ring. Three times it chimed, filling the deadened silence. Lou figured it was Ed and Edna on the other line. They'd grown close over the years, their shared experiences with danger-seeking children uniting them in a powerful bond. No doubt they were calling him in a panic, wondering if what just happened had really occurred, if they'd really lost the most important thing in their lives, if they'd witnessed the one thing a parent prayed never to see.

Had they lost their children?

Lou could claim that he didn't know, thereby joining them in their panic, but he knew. He knew what happened. The sickness he felt was familiar to him; when his wife died, he'd been crippled by it, leaving him empty, unable to father a boy who needed him. It was a horrible feeling, the kind that made him feel as though he'd been cracked open, his insides spilling out for the cruel world to see.

The feeling told him what he dreaded. His son was gone. Gone like his wife, gone like his hope, gone like everything the ninja ever worked for. His son was gone.

The sun rose, but morning didn't arrive, not for him, not for Ed and Edna, who dialed seven times before ceasing efforts, and not for the rest of Ninjago's residents. The silence that overtook him was deafening; perhaps the result of the entire world heaving a collective sob as they all realized what just happened.

They'd lost.

Sunlight spilled across his table, and Lou dropped his head into quivering hands.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**


	4. Monster

The first time he'd seen it, he'd screamed. She didn't take the reaction too kindly, but in his defense, he _was_ half asleep. Afterwards, when she'd fussed, and he adjusted, he made it his mission to tame the beast that terrified him so.

"Tell me dear," Garmadon sighed one morning, "Does it come alive at night?"

Misako laughed, her voice like a song, "Of course not! This is what happens when you have long hair. Believe me, if yours was longer, you would wake up as ugly as I do."

Garmadon hummed his response as he pulled a silver handled brush through the tangled mess of brown locks his wife called hair, holding the strands near the roots so that she didn't feel any pain. "I don't think you wake up ugly," he said, pulling apart a few knots with his fingers, "I think that your bed hair is an abomination."

She laughed again, and Garmadon smiled. Indeed, his wife's hair after a good night's rest was a monster. It was truly a sight to behold, especially since, in the time since he'd known her, Misako didn't toss and turn much during the night.

In the months following their marriage, he'd developed a theory. When the moon was high and the world fast asleep, he imagined that her hair would transform into a head of snakes, snakes that would begin a fierce battle for dominance that lasted until sunrise, where they would return to their natural form.

It was a silly theory, perhaps, but it was the only plausible reason he could give for why Misako would wake up with the bed hair she had.

He hummed a soft song as he continued to brush, taming the monster into the state he liked it best: long, silky, and straight. After a few more strokes, he began to braid her hair.

"Have you thought of putting it up before bed?" he asked.

"I would," said Misako, "but that damages the hair at the base of my neck."

Garmadon released a small scoff and continued working.

While at first terrified of the transformation his wife's head would undergo at night, he'd grown to appreciate its existence. Every morning, Misako would get up and sit on the edge of the bed, doing her toes, or painting her nails, or accomplishing some mundane activity while Garmadon sat behind and did her hair. It was a noteworthy task in his eyes, considering what he had to work with, but he enjoyed brushing his wife's hair, despite his daily complaints.

"What if I did one of those fishtail braids?" asked Garmadon, catching fly sways and returning them to their proper strands, "I heard it fixes that particular problem."

"We'll have to try it tonight."

Garmadon laced a ribbon through his fingers and pulled it tight, sitting back as he let the braid free. "All done."

Misako stood and shook her head from side to side, testing the braid's strength. Then she turned and, with a smile, left a kiss on her husband's cheek.

"You're amazing, darling."

"Tell me something I don't know."

That earned him a playful pat on the shoulder and a laugh. She leaned back and made her way to the bedroom door, where she began sliding her feet into her shoes.

"If you want to keep that title," said she, "Then you better make a damn good fishtail tonight. It would be nice to wake up in the morning and not look like a monster."

"I think you look great," said Garmadon. He stood too and began searching for his day robes, a little frown appearing on his face. "But, Misako?"

She stopped and looked back. "Yes?"

"If the fishtail does work, will you still let me brush your hair in the morning?"

Her smile made sunlight look dim.

"Of course, love."

* * *

 **I've written a lot of Garmafamily stuff lately (a lot more than I've published, too) as a side effect of the mess that has been seasons 8 and 9. I'm trying to space it out as much as I can. :)**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading! I'm so glad that you all are enjoying this series!**


	5. Beach

There was a bench on the beach that Kai used to sit at whenever the ninja docked in Ninjago City. It sat along the boardwalk, overlooking a stretch of sand that certainly wasn't the cleanest, but it had a nice view.

Kai used to sit on the chipped green paint, and he would stare out and watch people, frozen in time and stance.

One day, Zane found and joined him.

"Is this where you run off to?" the smile in the ninja's voice made a person's heart melt, "When we stop here?"

Kai tore his eyes from the beach before him and met Zane's grin. He studied it a bit, wishing that his sister could find a way to weaponize that smile. Serpentine, Skulkin, and Overlords wouldn't stand a chance.

"You here to pull me away?"

"I am here to join you," Zane gestured to the opposite end of the bench, which, for all the times Kai sat here, had always remained empty, "if you'll have me."

A smile crossed Kai's face. "Can't say no to you, can I?"

Zane filled the empty seat, the weathered wood bending sideways under his weight.

Waves and the shouts of passing people filled the silence.

Zane turned, "You like the beach?"

A nod. "I guess so."

"Why?"

"I just do."

"Huh," Zane turned his gaze and rubbed a hand at the buzzed cut of hair on the back of his head, "I would not take you for a beach person."

A breeze that smelled of must and sea spray floated by, lifting loose strands from Kai's otherwise styled hair. He shrugged. "I don't go in the water. I just like seeing the people."

He really didn't know why he liked the beach, but he did know that he liked sitting on the old wooden bench. He felt comfortable there, safe. When he sat along the beach, he saw nothing but happy people. Smiles, laughter, and mischief were all that surrounded him.

And now, for the first time, he had company. Not bad company, too.

"Nya doesn't like the beach," said Kai, filling the break in conversation.

Zane turned again, "Oh?"

Kai shook his head. "She says that too many people pee in the ocean."

The laugh he earned filled him with warmth.

"That is to be expected, no?"

"Exactly," Kai grinned at his company, "People have been peeing in oceans for as long as they've been around. In fact," he gestured towards a man in purple trunks standing waist deep against the waves, "on your left, at ten o'clock. I'll bet you all the money my life is worth that man is peeing."

Zane followed his gaze. "He certainly looks relieved."

"I'm telling you," Kai looked away, towards the rest of the people he'd come to know, "peeing."

Zane laughed, really laughed, throwing his head back and everything so that the sound could escape at the loudest capacity. Kai smiled, and from that day forward, Zane joined him on the bench by the beach.

He knew not what drew them there, nor what made the companionship much more enjoyable, but he liked it. He liked watching the people from his spot on the bench. He liked sitting next to and talking to Zane through it all, liked playing the games they made up.

Some days, Zane and Kai would look for and catch people in unbecoming crimes and beach-time shenanigans. Other days, they'd count seagulls as they flew overhead. Then there were the days where they did nothing at all, where they just sat and watched the world go by.

One day, they got to watch a sunset.

The golden light that bathed them turned the sky a glorious fade from scarlet to stars. Zane had put his arm across the bench's back, the tips of his fingers just barely brushing against Kai's shoulder. He felt safe there, like he was in an oil painting, free from the rest of the world, stuck in a place where only he, Zane, and the display before them existed.

After that day, Kai thought of the bench as theirs. Sure, other people would sit in it from time to time, but that bench, that stretch of beach, was his and Zane's. It was a nice place, a place where they could go and forget the world and all its struggles.

Because at the beach, everyone was smiling. At the beach, everything was okay.

The last time they'd sat on the bench, Zane had pulled a shell from his pocket, a beautiful murex speckled with mulberry spots. He held it out for Kai to take.

"What's this?" he said.

"A thank you," said Zane, "I've enjoyed my time here, so I wanted to give you this, to show my gratitude."

"But," Kai wasn't sure what he was feeling, "It's just the beach."

"Not so," he said, ever easy in his expression, "It is your company, and our time here. They make me happy, and happiness is a valuable thing, Kai."

Kai still hesitated to take the shell before him, and Zane laughed.

"If nothing else, I think this would go well with that blazer you have at home."

Kai finally chuckled, then took the shell, pausing to admire it before placing it in his pocket. He smiled at Zane, and together, they stared out across the seascape, leaving everything behind for one last time.

After the Overlord made his violent return, after Zane had sacrificed himself for the sake of a world that didn't deserve him, Kai stopped going to the beach. The shell sat on his dresser, in his sight so that he would never forget. But he didn't go back to the beach.

Not after.

He knew the bench lay empty, but he liked to imagine that Zane would always be sitting there, looking out at the finest sunset the world had to offer.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**


	6. Foot

Kai stumbled on the discovery quite by accident, and that was something Lloyd both regretted and detested.

If Kai was up early in the mornings, something was most definitely wrong. He was sick with some sort of disease, or an enemy was attacking the ship, or he actually had been injured in battle, but chose to keep silent in the name of pride. Or he just had too much to drink before bed. Regardless, if Kai was up at any hour before dawn, the rest of the ninja woke too, to make sure all was well.

"Everything good, Kai?" drawled Lloyd, his eyes alone above the covers, ruffled hair sticking in all directions.

"Yeah," Kai grouched. He hated being up at the hands of a full bladder, especially during the hours before the sun greeted the world a good day. Drinking all that grape soda had been a mistake after all.

He was about to climb back into his bunk when he noticed something about Lloyd. He hadn't meant to notice it, nor give it any more than a passing thought, but Kai did a lot of strange things when he was tired. While Lloyd lay curled and buried under the wrinkled covers, one foot stuck out from the end of it, practically off the bed. Kai stared at it for a moment, studying it in his half-tired state.

He hadn't realized how big Lloyd had gotten. He'd been older like the rest of them for several months now, so Kai was used to seeing Lloyd as a teen, but somehow, seeing the foot and its adult size reminded him that Lloyd was no longer was a little boy, a boy he'd grown to love, a boy who wore children's shoes.

That thought made him sadder than he expected.

So he did the one thing he could think to do at the moment.

He poked it.

It immediately jerked out of sight and under the covers as the being within it shifted.

"Kai!" it exclaimed.

Angry green eyes found his again, this time far more awake. Other bodies began to shift in their beds. Kai just grinned.

"You're ticklish."

"Am not!"

"Are so!"

"He's what?" Cole leaned up, pulling a few strands of hair free from his mouth.

"I'm nothing!" Lloyd curled further into himself.

"He's ticklish on his feet!" Kai sprang forward and tried to catch them again, beginning to laugh.

"Ticklish?" Zane grinned.

"No!"

"Oh," Jay leaned over the side of his bunk, smiling like a maniac, "I see there's still some secrets we have to learn from you, Lloyd."

"No!" cried the boy, falling off the bed to avoid several oncoming tickle attacks.

What started as an accidental discovery played as a joke turned into a nightmare. After that morning, there was no rest for Lloyd. He'd been careful to avoid baring his feet in the presence of his friends, but somehow, as time passed, they'd found ways to slip through his defenses, attacking him at times he least expected.

And boy, did he hate it.

When they'd gone swimming in a secluded lake, Jay managed to catch him by surprise by diving under and snagging him. Lloyd swallowed a fair amount of lakewater that day, and he'd cursed Jay that evening before bed.

When they'd stopped to eat lunch on the roof of the cabin, each boy sitting along the edge, Cole had gotten him as he walked inside for more food, and Zane had gotten him on the way back out. He'd cursed Cole that evening, but let Zane off on a warning, because it was harder to stay mad at him.

He ended up cursing Kai's name a lot, not only because he'd been the one to start this all, but because he'd always found a way to get him. Lloyd hadn't a clue how his brother managed to do it, but Kai would tickle him in times when Lloyd was at his most defensive. He complained when he did it; he kicked several of his brothers many times, but they continued finding ways to tickle his unsuspecting feet.

"It's all in good fun," they said, but Lloyd hated it.

Over time, as Lloyd began getting older, and their missions more intense, they stopped. Perhaps it was because they were maturing, and as such were above such things, and maybe it was because Lloyd was getting older, too. He'd become a teacher, one who'd lived through harrowing adventures, banished a father to another dimension, fought tooth and nail with a force that overpowered his very being. So naturally, they stopped. It wasn't something they were aware of, but Lloyd noticed one day. Several years had passed since they'd started doing it, and he hadn't even realized when they'd ceased.

A part of him was glad; he'd always hated being tickled on the feet.

He never thought he'd miss it, however.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**


	7. Afterlife

Sometimes Zane wondered if there was an afterlife for him. His thoughts on this had existed throughout his entire "life" as a robot. Sometimes they would appear when he meditated; other times they would show up in the heat of battle, when he came just a hair's breath from harm, and still other times, they would show up during odd moments, like amid a dinner with friends. Someone, usually Jay, would be in the middle of telling a joke, and someone, usually Kai, would be making a mess of his plate when everyone would be laughing, filling the air with a special kind of music Zane loved to hear.

Then the thought would appear.

Since his "death" at the hands of the Overlord, Zane became more aware of its existence, and all that entailed for he and his friends. Clocks ticked over each of their heads, and no one knew when they would go off. Zane too had a clock, but it was a different sort of clock. Unlike his friends, he could stop his clock, rewind it, even set it forward, if he tried. More so than that, he could stop his clock from ever going off, allowing him a life in Ninjago that wouldn't end, if he was careful.

Often, he wondered what would happen if his clock ever did go off for him. It happened once, and it had been horrible, terrifying; he'd barely managed to bring himself back. He wondered every day if that would ever happen again, and what would happen next. Would there be an afterlife for him? An afterlife for a machine?

His friends had it easy; when they feared death, they were reminded of the Departed Realm, a place where good souls lived eternity in peace. But Zane didn't have that, he had only his intellect, a mind learnt in keeping himself preserved for another day in Ninjago.

He didn't have that assurance. He didn't have what his friends did, and he never would.

It wasn't often that Zane cried, even less so when someone found him in the midst of one.

"Zane?"

The ninja of ice sat on the temple's roof, legs dangling off the edge. Stars watched him from above, but his head was bent towards the earth, away from beacons that so long had served as hope. Zane didn't have that.

A figure appeared next to him, a soft hand on his shoulder.

"Zane?" said Nya, a surprising visitor, "What's wrong?"

Zane turned away, furiously wiping at liquids built to emulate tears.

Nya dropped to her hunches, her hand still a presence on Zane's quivering shoulder. He wished that she would leave. Words couldn't describe the shame he felt at being caught in a state as vulnerable as this. He'd designs specifically made for controlling his emotions, and yet she'd caught him like this.

"Please," he spoke, "Leave me be."

"I can't do that." The hand moved to his back. "Tell me what's wrong, please."

The last word was spoken in a whisper, a soft plea to relieve her concern. How Zane wished he could deliver, that he could also relieve himself of the burden he carried.

His eyes found a weed growing alone from a crack within the temple's stone ground. He set his focus on it, concentrating until his breathing returned to normal levels. Or, more normal. Normal enough.

Nya still crouched near him, perhaps waiting, maybe just there to support him.

Like a friend.

A good friend.

A friend whose clock ticked faster than his.

Emotion swelled within his chest, and he deactivated his tear ducts to prevent another embarrassing scene.

"Nya," he said.

"Yes?"

"Nya."

Deep eyes glanced over his face, concern visible even in the darkness. Zane swallowed, looking away.

"I'm—" he began, "I am alone."

Nya dropped into a sitting position, her legs joining his as they fell off the edge of the roof. "What do you mean?"

"Today," said Zane, staring out over the darkened landscape, "today I noticed Lloyd's hair."

Nya nodded, "He's letting it grow."

"Not that hair," he swallowed, "Not that on his head. I—I saw he had some hair on his chin."

Her eyebrows flew, and for a second, a smile nearly broke from the corners of her lips, but she refrained any celebration out of respect for him. Zane didn't care; his first thought had been to celebrate, as well. After all, their boy was growing up.

But that had been it. Their boy was growing up. They were growing up, his friends, his family. Everyone was growing, but Zane…

"He had some stubble on his chin, noticeable enough that Kai made him shave," Zane bit at his lip, "and I realized that—I was _reminded_ that every one of you is growing. Every one of you are going to grey, wrinkle, tire with age. Every one of you will...will one day...go to the Departed Realm."

Nya's eyes had gone wide, but she remained silent.

"I think about that day sometimes," said Zane, "A day will come—perhaps tomorrow—when all of you will leave me for a home in another realm, a realm," Zane swallowed, "A realm I fear will have no place for a robot like me."

Nya finally looked away, eyes turning towards the earth, as well.

"I try not to think about it," said Zane, "but I get lost in my own head, sometimes. Cole always says that I think too much," he stared at the weed, alone in its growth away from the rest of the plants. "But that day will come. I dread its arrival, because I'll be all alone. There is no realm for a machine."

"Zane—"

"Where will I go, Nya?" his systems began to go haywire again, "Where can I go?"

The hand on his back pulled him into an unexpected, but not unwelcome, hug. "Don't think like that." she said, "You can't think like that!"

"I have to," said Zane, fingers curling into his palms, "You are all growing. Changing. I look the same as I did the day I was born," he released his hands, "Created. I was created."

"You're more than a machine, Zane," said Nya, pulling back, "Look at me," she waited until Zane made eye contact, "there is a place in the Departed Realm for you, just like there is a place for every other living creature in Ninjago."

"Not so," Zane shook his head, "You are made of flesh and bone, I am but a mess of metal parts. Iron and steel do not have a soul to give."

"But you have a heart!" Nya place her hand against Zane's chest, "You have a heart that beats the same as mine. You have a mind that thinks for itself. You do have a soul. Only a person with a soul can do the things you do, the things you've done," she pulled Zane closer, "You have a life. You're made of different material, but you have a life, and so long as you have that, you have a home in the Departed Realm," she clutched his shoulder, "You're not going to be alone."

The weed's little leaves quivered against a chilly breeze that swept past the area. "You do not know that," said Zane. "You know nothing, just as I know nothing of what will happen to me."

"If you don't know," said Nya, "then you can't say that you'll be alone."

"I have to wonder."

"No, you don't!"

"I must!" Zane shook her hand free, standing, "I am scared! I can predict anything, but I cannot predict what can happen once I am no more. I cannot predict what will become of me once I am the last of the ninja. It terrifies me. I'm scared of it," he paced across the temple's roof, fiddling with his hands, "I do not want to be alone again."

Nya watched him with sad eyes, eyes Zane wished he'd never see again, and hated that he'd been the one to put them there.

"Look," said Nya, "We're all scared. Everyone gets scared like that. And you know what?" she stood, joining Zane in his stride, "You're right. We don't know, and I don't think we'll know until the time comes."

Zane's eyes dropped to his feet.

"But I can promise you this: you're not going to be alone, okay?" Nya stepped in front of him, smiling, "No matter how old me, Lloyd, or Kai get, we're going to be with you. And when we die, there will be people for you. There will be Pixal, there will be our children, there will be Ninjago's future there for you. You're not going to be alone, I promise."

Zane released a breath. "I cannot help but think of it, Nya."

Was there an afterlife for a robot like himself?

"I know, we all do. But it'll be alright." Nya released a chuckle, "You know, I tend to find comfort in the inevitable. It's strange, but it's there. I hope you can find the same thing, but if you can't, just know that we are going to be there for you, now and forever."

He pursed his lips. Was there a place where he could meet his friends in a realm beyond what life was now?

One last time, Nya pulled him into a hug, "It's going to be okay."

Though at first tense, Zane finally relaxed, returning the gesture. "I do not wish to be alone."

"You won't be."

"Do you really believe that I will make it? That I can be with you after death?"

"I do."

Zane didn't. Perhaps. Maybe. He wasn't sure anymore. He wanted to believe that was a possibility, that he would see his friends in a better place, that he could look into his father's eyes once again, but he wasn't sure. He couldn't be sure.

He'd never be sure, but that night, he looked back at the stars before he went inside.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**


	8. Odd

When parents told their children about the ninja, they often stressed that the heroes they idolized had been normal kids, once, just like them. Jay hated that idea, because in short, Jay was never ordinary. When Jay was a child, he hadn't been regular, not in the definition that most children knew it as.

Jay had been That Kid.

Jay was That Kid who was odd, who wasn't like the other kids at school. He was the one with no friends, the one with the ugly scar through his eyebrow, the one that lived with his parents in a dump.

"Junkyard!" Jay always reminded them, red in the ears and cheeks. A dump was where people left their garbage; a junkyard was a business that took old and used machinery and turned it into something new, something better. It was nothing to be ashamed of.

 _It was nothing to be ashamed of,_ he had to remind himself.

But the other children refused to see that. They just saw That Kid. That Kid from the dump, That Kid with weird, wacky ideas, That Kid who was too odd to sit with the rest of the children at lunch. That Kid got his meal stolen from him, his books dropped, his shins kicked. Jay hated That Kid.

He stabbed at his meatball hard, grinding the fork's tines into the plates until it scraped. Next to him, Cole raised a bushy eyebrow.

"What's up with you?"

The entire table had eyes on him, and he flushed. He hadn't meant his thoughts to be so vocal.

"Nothing," he tried.

Nobody returned to their food, refusing to buy his excuse. After another moment of silence, Jay sighed.

"Do you think I'm odd?" he asked.

He wasn't sure what the proper response should've been, but he wished that it had been different than what it was.

"Yeah."

"Of course!"

"For sure!"

Everyone was nodding, agreeing that Jay was odd, without so much as a beat to think about it. That hurt him more than he thought it would. His friends thought he was That Kid. He felt his breathing catch, his insides curdling as a sickening feeling overcame him.

His friends were smiling over the fact that he was odd.

He tried plastering a grin onto his face to avoid sticking out and making a fuss, but the expression twitched, and he dropped his gaze to his lap. His friends looked on, an action he wished that they wouldn't do, so he could wallow in peace. Questions that weren't voiced aloud but that Jay could still hear rang through the air.

"You think I'm odd," he simply stated.

More silence, then, "Yeah," said Cole. After a pause, he elaborated, "I've never met anyone who could talk so long or so loud as you."

Jay blinked.

Kai nodded, "Indeed. Before I met you, I had no idea that someone could build a functioning robot out of a few scraps of metal."

Jay looked up.

"And!" said Lloyd, a smile on his face, "Destroy it not five seconds later!"

Everyone chuckled, and Jay looked around the table, his mouth agape in what was no doubt a stupid expression. That was why…

" _This_ is why you think I'm odd?"

"Of course," Cole looked at him like he was stupid, an expression Jay saw a lot, "Why else?"

They were smiling, not serious, but Jay shrugged, giving his meatball a hearty stab again. "When I was little," said he, "Kids thought me odd because I came from a poor family that lived in a junkyard on the edge of nowhere."

Silence.

Zane placed his fork down, folding together his hands, "That made you feel like an outsider."

Jay looked around, "You understand?"

"Dude," Kai huffed, "Of course we do. None of us were what you would call, ' _normal'_ as kids."

Now _that_ hadn't been an answer he was expecting.

"When I was a kid," Kai spoke with a bitter smile, "everyone made fun of me for being an orphan. They used to call me names—mean ones—because I was the one who took care of my sister, not my parents."

Jay stared at Kai in amazement, horrified at the idea of his friend being bullied for such a heart wrenching reason, but intrigued all the same. Then Zane spoke up.

"And you cannot call my experiences before being a ninja normal. I was the talk of every town I ventured. They would look at me and whisper about the boy who wasn't quite like the rest of the villagers." He finished this with a knowing smile and a wink.

Now Jay felt just plain silly.

"I have _Garmadon_ in my name," Lloyd chuckled next, "You don't exactly go through life as a regular kid with all that baggage."

Jay nodded, and looked to Cole, who spoke last, placing a hand on his arm.

"My dad thought I was odd for my entire life," said Cole, a fond smile and distant gaze on his face, "I don't even think he liked me back then. And after my father, it was everyone else. To the entire world, I was just that homeless looking kid who could climb mountains without a safety harness."

"Huh," said Jay, the only thing he could think to say.

"So, you see," said Kai, "Don't be ashamed of who you are. You might be odd, but you're odd like us."

The group laughed again, and this time, Jay joined in.

"I guess," he said, looking at the table, then looking back to his friend's faces, "We are a pretty odd bunch."

What had started as a fairly upsetting dinner ended on a far more jovial note that Jay committed to his memory, so that he'd always have it to look back to.

When Jay got to speak with children, he told them that the ninja weren't always ordinary. When children themselves, the ninja couldn't be described with such a word; they were the kids who got pushed around sometimes, isolated every now and then, treated differently for being, well, different. So, when Jay talked to Ninjago's future, he told them that the ninja were just like them: a little odd.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**


	9. Shy

"It wasn't that bad, Kai."

"Yes, it was, and everyone knew it!"

Kai was red in both clothing and face as he marched over the Bounty. Cole followed behind, not as angry, but just as driven as his friend. They'd returned from a party, one the rest of the ninja were still at, dancing and eating the night away. Cole wished that he was still there, but Kai needed help, the sort that only he could give.

"I don't understand what the problem was," Cole grunted as he pushed the door open, which Kai had left to swing shut, "You danced for the Blade cup, and you were on a _stage,_ then."

"Different," Kai spoke through his teeth.

Cole grimaced.

The party had been going well for several hours. The food was good, the music excellent; everyone was having a good time. Then someone had the bright idea to play the Weekend Whip on the speakers, and the ninja were pushed onto the dance floor. They'd been laughing, groaning, but not really protesting to dancing in front of onlookers.

Well, most of them weren't protesting.

"How is it different?" Cole found Kai crouched in front of their quarter's television, fiddling through several video games.

"I had a mask."

"Oh."

Kai had been clumsy throughout the dance, late to moves, eventually taking a wrong step and falling flat on his behind. Several people had laughed, including the ninja, and he'd left in a hurry afterwards. Cole hadn't laughed, but he wasn't sure Kai noticed. Not that he cared; he gave his friends a good talking to, and he followed Kai out, knowing exactly the sort of mortification his friend was feeling.

He'd wanted to offer his friend the support he hadn't for himself when he'd suffered the same mistake, but Kai just wasn't having it.

"You choked?"

Kai folded his arms and didn't answer the question.

Frankly, Cole didn't understand it. Kai had always been coordinated, despite his reckless personality, and he certainly had the skills and knowledge to be an excellent dancer. Perhaps he'd just thought of his friend as something better than what he was. Regardless, he wanted Kai to stop feeling so bad about it.

He sighed, dropping next to his friend. "It's okay, Kai. It happens to all of us. Heck, it happened to me!" he cuffed him on the shoulder, "You remember that story, don't you?"

Kai thought for a second, then nodded, breaking into a snort that turned into a chuckle. Cole grinned along for a while, until Kai's laughter carried a bit too long. Clearing his throat, he pushed his friend off balance until he stopped.

"Yeah, so it's not as bad as you think, I promise. The worst that'll happen is that people might make a few jokes," Cole patted Kai on the shoulder, pleased to see that the frown lines on his friend's face had softened, "But they don't matter, do they?"

Kai shrugged. "I guess not." He was indeed looking better.

Then Cole ruined it. "So what if you're a little uncoordinated?"

Kai froze, then turned, affronted, "Uncoordinated?"

"Yeah?" Cole wasn't about to take back his statement, not yet, "It wasn't that bad, but you certainly lacked form."

"Form?" Kai stood, the frown appearing again.

"Everyone does! You're not professional—"

For a moment, he thought that Kai was going to punch him, but he just fumed, "You think I'm a clumsy dolt?"

"No, I—"

Kai turned on his heel, and Cole almost rolled his eyes. Kai looked like he would storm off again, which was ridiculous, since his friend had no where to storm off to, but Kai just marched over to the radio at the end of the room, poring through several stacks of CDs.

Cole made to stand, but Kai let out a fierce, "Stay right there, you ninny!" and he went back to a sitting position, not scared—no, definitely not scared—but a little put out by Kai's tone.

He waited until Kai seemed to find what he was looking for. An unseen smirk crossed Kai's face, and the ninja of fire took out the CD, placing it into the radio with delicate precision. After a moment, Cole was surprised to hear the animated notes of tango music dance through the air.

Kai turned, and Cole stood without a word.

"Come here," Kai gestured for emphasis, "I'll show you _form._ "

A little hesitantly, Cole placed his left hand over Kai's bicep, and his right in Kai's other hand. Kai didn't give him time to prepare as he pulled him close and began to lead Cole in a fast-paced tango dance. Starting off simple, he brought Cole through a walk to get his feet in pace, then slowly grew more flamboyant. As the music began to pick up, Kai's gestures turned wild, though Cole noticed that they weren't unskilled.

Cole knew how to dance the tango, a fact he made sure to keep a secret for as long as he could, but he was surprised that Kai knew, even more so at how _good_ he was. The music rose, and Kai led him into a promenade turn, his movements quick and precise. He had this smirk on his face, matched by a fierce gaze.

Cole raised his eyebrows, then decided that he would play, too. After Kai got a little cheeky, he matched his friend's energy with that his own, not exactly taking the lead, but putting his all into the energetic dance. It was Kai's turn for surprise, but with a set of his jaw, he gripped Cole's hand tighter and pulled him faster around the room.

They continued like that for far longer than likely either of them anticipated, stopping only when the track ended, and they stood, heaving in silence.

After a moment, Cole let out a quiet, "Touché."

Kai grinned.

"I didn't know you knew the tango," he continued, letting go of Kai's hand.

"I didn't know _you_ did," Kai countered, looking better now that he'd made a point and saved his pride.

All seemed well for a moment before they heard someone clear their throat across the room. Both boys looked up, seeing, to their dismay, that everyone else had returned home, and had been standing in the foyer for a length of time neither of them knew.

Most of them were grinning; Zane looked curious, and Lloyd had his eyebrows raised. Nya looked a mix between confused and horrified.

"Um…" _It's not what it looks like…_ Cole had meant to say, but that was a lie; the situation was exactly what it looked like, and everyone knew it, too. So, with a shrug, he settled with, "Don't worry, guys. Kai's feeling a lot better now."

Kai shot him a look.

"Clearly," said Nya.

Jay began to snicker.

Another, painfully awkward moment of silence settled over the room. Kai was growing red in the face again, and Cole finally realized what his friend's problem had been back at the party. It wasn't that Kai was unskilled; he was just shy. And, apparently, skilled in dances that the music didn't provide for.

"Well!" Kai burst, clapping his hands together and rubbing them, "I think I'll go to bed. You've all seen enough of me tonight." He scurried out of the room like a cockroach from light, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"We've seen enough of you for a lifetime!" Jay chortled, before heading over to the kitchen, "Fair warning, guys," he called before disappearing, "The amount of teasing you're about to receive isn't going to go away for a long time!"

The rest of the group made various noises of both affirmation and mirth, before dispersing to their own respective locations. In some ways, Cole was thankful that they were leaving so quickly—perhaps they were too whipped to tease them right away—but he was a little curious as to why no one was going to question what had transpired. Maybe life had gotten so weird for them that this sort of thing was expected.

He shrugged, preparing to take leave himself, when a hand caught him by the crook of his elbow. He turned to see Nya beside him.

"Look," she said, "What you and Kai do is your business, okay? But if you break his heart, I'm going to kick your ass."

Cole chuckled, "Duly noted."

She grinned at him, and they parted.

As Cole went to bed that evening, he hoped that one day Kai would feel brave enough to dance with other people. Not that Cole was the greatest judge in the world, but his friend had certainly been a fine partner.

A fine partner indeed.

* * *

 **I like the idea of Kai being good at the tango, but terrible at everything else.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	10. Sticky

**Howdy folks. I'm going to place a small warning here for safety: if blood or serious injury makes you uncomfortable, feel free to leave. Thank you kindly for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day.**

* * *

She held his face in her hands, smoothing damp hair back from his forehead. Tears were in her eyes, which she tried desperately to keep from falling. Jay's eyes were closed, his face as pale as death. Blood dusted with drywall and dirt ran down from his forehead, leaving a stain on the floor, his uniform, Nya's hands.

"We could really use some help, guys!" her voice was hoarse and cracked as she screamed into her comm.

The room was falling apart around them, a battle gone wrong leaving them vulnerable in a building on the verge of collapsing, Jay trapped beneath the crushing hold of a metal beam. Nya had tried, with all the strength she had, to lift the shaft, but it was to no avail. Without Cole to lift the object, Jay was stuck, and without Zane to analyze his injuries, she had no idea the extent of which her boyfriend was harmed.

He could be dying, and she wouldn't know.

His blood was smooth but sticky on her hands as she reached for his pulse. It was rapid, unsteady. Nya closed her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Guys, guys, please help!" she cried out again, but was met with static. The explosion that put them into this situation must have damaged the comms, or something was wrong on the other end. Either way, hope sailed from her like balloons.

"Hold on, Jay," she put her hand in his hair again, hoping to find some sort of comfort. She didn't know how much longer they had. She knew that her friends would find them eventually; no doubt their absence would spark a search party, and there were only so many buildings they could be in, given the explosion.

They were on their way. Whether they heard her cries, they were on their way.

She just hoped that they would be fast enough.

His blood was sticky on her hands, sticky on his forehead.

"It's okay," she lied, more to herself than the unconscious form beneath her, "It's okay." She must believe that they were okay. If she didn't, then she would have to accept that Jay might die. She couldn't accept that. She couldn't, she couldn't.

Jay would be okay. The rest of the ninja would find them.

She called through her comm one more time. Surely, they would hear her.

The puddle on the floor was growing, the edges darkening almost to black against the concrete. As Nya watched it, hot tears pouring faster, she noticed something else. Blood pooled elsewhere, too. In his uniform, over his torso, blood trailed down and through the deep blue fabric.

She swallowed, and Jay began to blink.

"Argh—" he gave a sharp groan.

Nya grabbed at his hand, relief flooding her veins, "Jay," she exclaimed, "It's okay, I'm here."

"Nya?" his eyes weren't opening properly—Nya noticed—or they wouldn't open all the way. A sluggish hand raised itself, first reaching for his face, then pushing against the steel beam that lay killing him, "N—Nya?"

"I'm here," she said, wishing that she could stop crying. That was a problem with being the ninja of water; she cried and sweat a lot. "The others are on their way."

Jay's quivering hand reached for her face, but fell halfway, fingers leaving trails of blood on her cheek. Nya bit her lip, hard.

"It—" words struggled to leave Jay's mouth, "…hurts." Sticky fingers pointed towards his chest, the beam. Nya squeezed his hand harder, as if that would somehow make him feel better.

"I know," she said, struggling to speak, but for entirely different reasons, "But it's going to be okay."

Jay nodded once, eyes closed and frowning. "Could," he said, "Could you just…hold me…for a while?"

Nya swallowed as she stared at Jay's face. "Of course." She placed a careful arm over Jay's chest, holding his head in her hands. She told herself that it would be okay another time.

Jay didn't say anything more after that, and Nya knew not whether he was even awake. Time passed, and the puddles got bigger. She talked to herself again and again; everything would be alright; the others were on their way. Things would work out.

After too long, Nya finally heard a voice. Her head snapped up, hair brushing back.

It was Kai. Calling out from a story below was her brother, a voice she was all too happy to hear.

"Nya!" he called, "Jay!"

"Here!" her voice cracked, "We're up here! Hurry!"

Just then, she felt Jay's pulse drop, and she screamed.

The others arrived late, too late. Cole lifted the beam, and Zane lifted Jay, hurrying him out to paramedics at a sprint, not even pausing to call out his injuries. Kai had his hands on Nya's shoulders, trying to get her to stand, to go.

The building was falling apart. Pieces fell from the ceiling like the pieces of Nya's heart as she stared at the blood on the floor.

"It's going to be okay," said Kai, worry in his voice that he didn't often show, "I promise."

Nya hadn't promised that to Jay and couldn't bear hearing the promise from Kai. Jay was not okay, and she was not okay, and the world would not be okay if Jay died on that hospital table. She put her head into her hands, and Kai finally had enough, hefting her up and carrying her out himself. Nya didn't struggle.

Kai repeated his promise many times over as he placed her into an ambulance outside. She wanted to believe him. Like she wanted to believe that her mother and father would return one day, she wanted to believe that Jay was going to walk the streets alright again. Nya lifted her head, staring into red hands.

Jay's blood was sticky.

* * *

 **I think the songs I listened to while writing really had an effect on the product.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	11. Treasure

Kai found it under a loose floorboard.

A hickory box with a golden lock lay beneath Zane's bed, wedged under a deceptively placed slab of wood. At first, he felt bad, because he hadn't meant to find it at all. In fact, Kai had been looking for Zane's little leather diary, but he found that this was far more interesting. He pulled the box out, falling back onto his hunches as he looked it over. His eyebrows rose, and an intrigued little smirk teased his lips when he noticed that, unlike the rest of the items beneath Zane's bunk, this box hadn't a single dust bunny upon its surface.

He turned over the box in his hands, feeling the smooth wood and picking at the little gold lock. The box was small, a modest thing. Honestly speaking, it wouldn't hold much at all, but the very fact that it was both hidden and locked peaked Kai's interest.

After testing the strength of the lock a moment more, he looked around the room for something to pick it open with.

Then he felt a blow to the side of the head, and the box was snatched away from him.

"Ouch, dammit!" Squinting, Kai looked up at his assailant, wincing when he saw Zane's wide blue eyes staring at him.

"You!" said Zane, "How dare you! This is an invasion of privacy!"

"S-sorry!" nervous, Kai tried laughing it off, "I didn't realize we had any privacy left!" Kai thought this explanation a half-truth; the ninja hardly had any secrets from each other, the fact due especially to that they had all, at some point, seen each other naked, "What's in it, anyway?"

Zane's stare was hard, and a million emotions were racing through his pupils, emotions that Kai couldn't decipher. "None of your business."

"Is it really that important?"

"Does it matter?" if possible, Zane's stare hardened even more, "This is my most precious box, my treasure, and I forbid you to ever look in it!" he gave a nod after this to emphasize his point, then turned on his heel and marched out of the room.

Kai sighed, despairing at his loss. That thing would be bothering him for as long as he remembered it. With that in mind, he made it his mission to find out its contents.

At least, for a while. A month passed before the box turned up again.

Kai was sitting on the couch, a smoked rib hanging from his mouth, console in his hand as he furiously pounded the attack button. Zane's treasure was far from his mind, for he had given up after about three weeks of searching. He might've gone another month without thinking of it if Cole hadn't walked into the room with it in his hand.

"Kai, do you know what this is?"

His little avatar died onscreen as the rib dropped from Kai's mouth. Held aloft by one of Cole's hands was the treasure, the box. He blinked, "Where did you get that?"

"In the laundry," said Cole, a little wrinkle between his brows, "I had a basket of Jay's stuff that I'd pulled from beneath our bunk when it dropped out. Do you know whose it is?"

"Genius," said Kai. No one would dare touch Jay's laundry, let alone loot it. "That's uh—" he couldn't lie to Cole, but he needed to have that box, "That's mine."

He walked up and held his hands out, but Cole must have detected the sinister gleam in his eyes, because he didn't give the box right away, saying with the frown still on his face, "What was this doing in Jay's laundry?"

"I dropped it, now gimme the box," Kai had to pull it from Cole's grip, running his tongue over his teeth as he looked at his prize, "Thank you for finding it, now bye!"

An eyebrow remained quirked on Cole's face as Kai pushed him out the door, shutting it fast as he looked for a way to open the box. First, he thought to find a key, but he'd no doubt that that item would be found with Zane, and Zane alone. Then he thought to pick it open with a bobby pin. He'd seen Jay do this several times, with all sorts of tools.

When the bobby pin failed to achieve results, Kai got frustrated, pushing the box away and squeezing the pin so hard his powers began to melt it.

He dropped it to the table, watching the glowing metal curl. An idea floated through his mind. An awful idea, but an idea nonetheless.

He looked around. He could hear Cole and Jay arguing in the next room, but other than that, Kai was alone, away from the scrutiny of anyone else. With a smirk, he rubbed his hands together until flames sprang alive from his fingertips. He brought them closer to the lock and began to wait.

He did admit it, guilt began its lowly crawl through his veins during the next half hour, but when the lock finally snapped, it disappeared, and Kai let out a cry to celebrate.

He opened the box, dumping out its contents.

He froze, then frowned.

Photographs lay scattered over the table, in varying sizes and colors. Notes written in Zane's distinct cursive were written across the backs. Curiosity blooming within him, Kai picked up the photos, looking them over.

Dr. Julien stared out from the first one, wrinkled and smiling. He sat alone in his frame, the falcon perched over his shoulder. On the back were the words, " _Father,"_ written in ink, along with the date. The photo was taken about three weeks before the man passed.

Wincing, Kai set it aside, curiosity somehow growing larger. He picked up the next photo, hoping the reasons for the box's concealment would be explained.

Garmadon sat in a wicker chair in front of his monastery, eyes turned sideways, and arms curved over his belly, like he hadn't known the camera was there. Kai imagined that someone like Lloyd or Misako had been the one to take the photo, but somehow Zane had gotten ahold of it, writing the words, " _Enemy, Friend,"_ and _"Teacher,"_ on the back. This had been a few months after the Overlord had been defeated.

He set the photo aside, placing it facedown. He scratched his head, then reached for the next one.

This one held Lloyd, and Kai had to let out a laugh, because it was Lloyd when the kid was still a pint-sized ball of terror. The figure in the photo sulked up at the camera, a ring of chocolate around his lips. Kai sustained a chuckle as he turned the picture over, laughing again when he read the word, _"Nuisance,"_ then, _"Our Nuisance."_ That was their Lloyd. Sometimes, Kai forgot how much had changed.

He picked up the next photo with a smile on his face.

This time, Wu and Misako beamed out, excited. Behind them, the opening banner of the teashop sat on proud display, frozen in a crooked stance. Kai remembered it being windy that day. He turned the photo over.

" _Teachers, Friends, Family."_

Kai set the photo with the rest, unable to believe that Zane was hiding this in a locked box beneath his bed. He couldn't understand why seemingly mundane photos would be so valuable, especially since they already had so many around the Bounty.

Shaking his head, he looked at the last photo.

"Oh," he sighed.

The photo contained the ninja, everyone but Zane himself, who was likely the one behind the camera. They were in the living room, half of them on the couch, the rest on the floor. Cole lay sideways over the end of the couch, smiling as he held Jay, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, in a headlock. Nya sat in the center, the biggest grin on her face as she stared down at her boyfriend. Lloyd sat on the floor in front of her, holding a console and eyes on the television screen before him, displaying a devious grin. Kai was wondering why his expression was so, when he noticed himself on the last seat of the couch, also holding a console and in the middle of an angry yell.

Though a bit disappointed at the unflattering picture of his face, Kai smiled, admiring the feeling of it. He couldn't remember the day is was taken, but he did remember several times when the ninja had sat together like that. He grazed a fond finger over it, before looking to see what Zane had written on the back of this.

" _Treasure."_

"Treasure," Kai echoed. Did Zane consider them his treasure? He placed a hand to his heart. He hadn't expected to feel so touched upon opening the box, and the guilt hit him with a new, powerful fury. And yet—Kai looked at the photos and frowned—he couldn't understand why Zane would keep this a secret. He began grabbing at the photos, his intention to put the box back in Jay's laundry with the hope that Zane wouldn't notice for a long, long time.

"Kai!" came a call.

 _Speak of the devil…_ a nervous smile twitching at Kai's lips, he turned to meet Zane, standing in the living room doorway, "Zane! It's so nice to see you! How are you doing on this fine, _fine_ day?"

Zane only stared at him, disappointed, and that was when Kai knew that today was his last day on earth.

His first thought was to sputter some sort of apology. "S-sorry! Sorry Zane, I didn't—shoot."

His friend walked over and sat next to him, lip curling as he gathered up the photos. Kai's insides were shrinking away.

"I'm so sorry."

Zane pulled the box towards him, dragging it furiously across the table.

"I didn't realize—" that was wrong, "I should have realized, I should have known—" nothing, Kai was getting nothing from his friend, "I should have respected your wishes?" he tried.

Zane picked up a photo, looking over the picture. Kai wished—no, _needed_ —Zane to say something.

"Why is it a secret, anyway?"

"These are my private photos."

"Why?" said Kai, "We've got all sorts of photos of the same people around the Bounty."

"These are mine, Kai." Zane finally looked at him, "I need to keep them safe, safe from you, and safe from everyone else."

That stung. "What makes you think I'll be rough with them?"

"Are those not a plate of ribs next to your elbows?" Zane bit, "You could have soiled them, ruined them," he slammed his hand against the coffee table, "I cannot believe you!"

"I'm sorry!" said Kai. He was sorry. He was terribly sorry. But he wanted to understand. "But what is so special about these photos?"

"They're mine!" Zane shouted. Kai drew back, and his friend sighed. He looked at the photos again, and picked out the one that Dr. Julien resided in. "You see this?" he said, "I took this picture of my father. It's the only picture that _I_ ever took of him. Every time I look at this picture, I remember him. I remember how hot it was the day I took it, how you could see the waves of heat along the pavement. I remember what I did to make him smile. He swore he was being cooked alive, and I told a joke, and he laughed so, so hard. In the moment I knew I needed to take a picture."

He picked up little Lloyd, "In this picture, I remember the hours I spent looking for this troublemaker. I remember how scared I was, thinking that you were going to come home and found I'd lost him. I remember the lecture I gave him after finding him, how I much candy I promised if he swore not to say anything."

He picked up Garmadon, "I remember seeing Garmadon sitting on the monastery. The air was cold, and it smelled of autumn; it made me think of everything that had happened, how, like the leaves on the trees, everything was changing, how hopeful we were."

He picked up Wu and Misako, "I remember the same feelings here. Change, but the springtime change, the kind that reflects new beginnings, hope." He looked at the photo and sighed again. With less anger, he picked up the last photo, "And in here," he said, "I remember the rain that fell on the roof of the Bounty's cabin. The greasy smell of pizza in the air. The laughter. This was the first time we'd all been together in months, no missions, no responsibilities, and we were without a care in the world. We were happy."

Zane looked at Kai, "These photos are my treasure, Kai. They make me think of everything good. I do not want them ruined."

Kai nodded, "But why these photos specifically?"

"I told you. I took these photos with my own hand. I stood there in those moments and clicked the shutter." Zane looked at the pictures again, "I know I am built to have photorealistic memory, but all of that can go away with the flip of a switch. These I can hold onto."

Kai nodded, "I'm sorry."

"You do not think it silly?"

"Of course not," Kai shrugged, "I think it's sweet. I just wish that you'd explained this to me when I found it a month ago."

"Well, now," Zane's lips thinned, and he had that snippy tone of voice again, "I wouldn't have needed to, had you not been sneaking around in my stuff."

Heat rose to the back of his neck, "Point taken."

Though Zane still seemed ticked at him, the fury that had been there a moment ago had lessened significantly, and Kai felt alright asking him, "Why not just explain to everyone what these photos mean to you instead of keeping it a secret?"

"Because."

It wasn't like Zane to dodge questions like this. "Because why?"

"It ruins my image, Kai," Zane finally conceded, shaking his head, "I am the cool one in this group, and I would like to stay that way."

Kai blinked, " _That's_ why?"

Zane scratched at the back of his neck, "I told you it was silly."

Kai brought a hand to his forehead, near flabbergasted, "That's the reason for the secrecy…" he shook his head, "You're not even the cool one!"

The frown returned. "Am so!"

"Are not!" Kai turned, "You're the adorable one."

"Not so," said Zane, "Lloyd is the adorable one. I'm the cool one."

"No, Lloyd is the leader."

"Then what does that make Cole?"

"The cool one!"

Zane stared at him, squinting before looking back to his photos. "Okay," he said, "Now I am confused."

Kai couldn't help it then. He laughed. A second passed, and Zane did, too, much to Kai's relief. They laughed for several minutes, each leaning back for support against the sofa, and eventually settling into a good-natured silence.

"I'm sorry again." Kai said, looking over to his friend, "I'll help you hide it."

Zane nodded, "Okay." He turned, a brow quirked, "What hiding places have you that I don't know about?"

"None, probably," said Kai, grinning, "But I've got some places that I know won't be found by anyone else."

After a moment, Zane returned the grin. "Alright."

He couldn't deny the fun he had in hiding the box (the lock now fixed) in a new place. He felt like a pirate that was burying a real gem of a chest. He also felt warm. Not overjoyed, or giddy, just warm. It was touching to know that Zane thought of him, of his friends, as his treasure.

He just hoped Zane knew that he was a treasure, too.

* * *

 **Kai believes he is the hot one.**

 **Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and following this story. Your support means the world to me!**


	12. Scowl

Garmadon didn't consider himself a vain person. Vanity wasn't a trait he cared for, and he hoped never to be labeled as such. He did, however, spend a lot of time thinking about his appearance.

He kept it as a constant awareness in his thoughts: _am I frowning too much? Might I come off as mean to the students? How do I look? How do I look? How do I look?_

He thought a lot about his appearance, and he did so as a villain, too, though what effect it had on others was more balanced with how it affected him.

A look into any reflective surface reminded him that he had to build a new world up in his image, because who here would love a man with skin the color of night and eyes that glowed like the embers of a dying flame?

And then there were his scowl lines.

Even as a human, he had far too many, more than he was comfortable with. He was more aware of them now; since age had carved away at his face, scowl lines didn't go away like they used to, and since he was no longer an evil menace determined to make the world a shadow, they no longer served a purpose.

Now they were a remnant of what he'd used to be. He hated to say that he was self-conscious of those lines, but he didn't deny that the insecurity existed.

He was trying to change, he really was, but those lines didn't go away.

He brought a hand up, running a few fingers along the many lines and ridges in his ancient face. Boy, did they bother him so. Garmadon was sure he wasn't vain, but goodness, did he spend a lot of time thinking about his appearance.

"Dad?" came a call.

With a snap, Garmadon tore his gaze from the reflection in the window, fixing his son with a smile, "Yes, Lloyd?"

Lloyd stared at him from the other end of the room. "You alright?"

 _How long had he been standing there?_ "All is well, son."

"Are you sure?"

Garmadon forced a laugh, "Of course! I've every reason in the world to be alright." Evil had finally been purged from his veins; everything was just fine.

He was quick to suggest that the two of them make lunch, so that they both could put this moment behind them.

Behind them for another time, another morning where he would look long and hard at his reflection, to make sure that his scowl lines didn't show too much.

They always did.

The most he could hope for was to balance them out with those of mirth. Perhaps if he smiled wide enough, then those lines would, at the very least, soften.

If he just smiled wide enough.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**


	13. Bubbles

Lloyd never meant to learn of his friends' various reactions to bubbles; it wasn't a fact he set out to find. However, once he did happen upon them, he decided that it was important information to know, since bubbles were one if his favorite things.

His first encounter was when he was blowing bubbles into his milk at breakfast.

"Lloyd!" fussed Zane, looking a mix between curious and aghast, "That is not polite!"

 _He sounds like a Mom,_ thought Lloyd first. Or rather, what he thought a mom would sound like, because it wasn't like he knew. This thought gave him a bitter taste in his mouth, which likely attributed to his tone when he responded to his miffed friend.

"What's the problem?" he stated, a bite in his voice, "I'm not spilling it everywhere."

This question seemed to stump his friend, and Lloyd could practically see the gears turning in Zane's head. He knew that one wasn't supposed to blow bubbles into milk, but didn't know the reasons behind such a rule, other than that of politeness. Frankly, Lloyd wanted to know why, as well, because he'd grown tired of being fussed at for such actions.

"Milk is for drinking," the nindroid eventually settled with, "That means no blowing."

Lloyd stuck his lip out, "You're no fun."

He was hoping that his statement would offend Zane, but his friend smiled, pleased that he'd settled the little argument. After that, as much as he wanted to, Lloyd didn't blow bubbles in his milk unless Zane was out of the room.

Kai and Jay had far different, but intriguing, reactions.

"Cut that racket, will ya?"

Lloyd almost choked on his straw when his head received a soft but firm kick from behind.

"Hey!" he cried, whipping around to the sofa as Jay began to snort. He brought a hand to his hair, giving his assaulter his most evil glare, "What's wrong with blowing bubbles?"

Kai, normally his ally in these situations, fixed him with a scowl, "Nothing, except when I'm watching my show; now go blow bubbles somewhere else!"

Little fingers clutched harder at his can of soda, "I'm comfortable right here, thank you very much!"

"Too bad!" said Kai, "I can't hear!"

"Oh, come on, Kai," drawled Jay before Lloyd could insult his friend, "What's wrong with blowing a few bubbles, eh?" as he said this, he grabbed his own can of soda and brought the straw to his lips.

Lloyd smirked.

"Jay," Kai held up a finger, "Don't you da—"

Jay blew as hard as he could, and Lloyd cackled.

"That's it!" Kai threw down the remote. For one scary moment, Lloyd thought that Kai was going to make a leap at him, but Kai instead threw himself at Jay, who cried out as the ninja of fire pulled him into a headlock.

Lloyd smiled again, cheering along as the resulting fight commenced.

After that day, Lloyd was polite enough not to make too much noise if Kai was concentrating on something. If Jay were there, the arbitrary rule went out the window, and he blew to his heart's content.

Cole was an entirely different story when it came to bubbles. He wasn't one to blow bubbles into his drink, nor one to blow bubbles to get on the nerves of a friend. He was, however, a blowing bubbles while in the middle of washing his hands kind of person.

Funnily enough, it was Cole who volunteered this information, rather than something Lloyd learned for himself.

"Hey, Lloyd."

Pausing a moment in his scrubbing, Lloyd turned with an innocent, "Hm?"

Cole held two soapy hands up in the air, bent together so that a sheen of it was wobbling in between his fingers. He had a downright stupid grin on his face, one that stayed as he said, "Watch this."

Pursing his lips, he blew. The most delightfully large bubble spread from his hands, growing bigger by the second before popping into a cool mist. Lloyd looked on with glee; he'd no clue one could produce bubbles that big.

"Whoa!" he cried.

Cole laughed.

"Can you teach me?"

"Sure," said Cole, "It's not hard. Just watch."

Moments later, Lloyd laughed as he and Cole blew bubbles over the sink. He was disappointed that his bubbles didn't grow nearly as large before popping, but he attributed that to Cole being full of hot air. All the same, he was having fun, and was disappointed when a furious pounding came from the bathroom door.

"Could you guys hurry up!?" cried Jay, "I've been holding it for the past twelve minutes!"

Lloyd could only laugh.

Bubble blowing was a task thought of differently by all his friends, but Nya was the one who seemed to like it only in its most traditional form.

He found her sitting out on the Bounty's deck, sitting in a lawn chair and blowing bubbles from a wand that came from a little container. Lloyd didn't know what to be more surprised at; the fact that Nya was blowing bubbles, or that she was blowing bubbles all alone.

"Nya," he stated, marching over to her and placing his hands on his hips.

"Hey!" she greeted, "What's up, tyke?"

In response, he merely pointed to the remaining bubbles floating off into oblivion.

"What?" Nya grinned, "You think blowing bubbles is stupid?"

That surprised him enough to grow red in the cheeks, "No," quite the opposite, actually, "I was just wondering why you're over here all alone."

Nya seemed to get the idea, "I've got another bottle," she said with a smile, "You're welcome to join me."

Lloyd didn't protest, and that made for a surprisingly peaceful afternoon.

Bubbles were one of his most favorite things, right next to Fritz Donnegan and chocolate truffles, so it was important to know what his friends thought of it. They seemed to like it, one way or another, and Lloyd was thankful for that. He wasn't sure why, but he was glad his friends liked what he liked.

It wasn't a feeling he was used to, but it was nice.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading, following, and reviewing this collection! You guys are the best!**


	14. Empty

Jay started wearing a lot more sweater vests, which was how he knew that something was up.

Jay always dressed like what he thought cool kids dressed like. Sometimes this meant that he would dress in torn jeans and a leather jacket, and other times this meant that he would wear loose crop tops over sleeveless shirts. He never failed to pick out the most ridiculous combinations, but he somehow managed to pull it off, in his own, unique way.

Lately, he was wearing sweater vests, and no one knew why. Usually, his clothing style would be an odd combination of whatever trends were circulating throughout Ninjago at the moment, but with the sweater vests, no one knew when or why he chose to don such an item.

Cole found Jay sitting and staring out of the temple's windows, watching the rain trail down the panes with eyes wide and vacant. Along with the unusual form of clothing, Jay had also been quieter over the past weeks, which was an anomaly in and of itself.

Cole thought to finally ask his friend, "Any reason you keep wearing those sweater vests?"

Jay turned to him, "Got a problem?"

"No," Cole smirked and leaned against the wall, "unless you count the fact that sweater vests are the ugliest sweaters in existence."

Jay chuckled, but the sound wasn't as loud or joyful as either of them were used to. Thankfully, Jay offered some form of an explanation, "I was reading through some old movie magazines."

"The trashy ones full of gossip?"

"Yeah," grinned Jay, "those. I found out that Cliff Gordan liked wearing these when he wasn't in public."

"Seriously?" Cole snorted, "An actor that cool? In something so dorky?"

Jay smirked, looking down, "I was surprised, too."

"Why are you so interested in it?"

Jay shrugged, the smile leaving his face, "I just wondered if…" he shrugged again and refused to answer the question.

Cole stared at his friend, scratching his head, but Jay didn't say anything more. He left him there, saying, a bit solemnly, "More power to you, I guess."

Cole wasn't worried for his friend, per se, nor was he outright concerned, but he was…curious, to say the least.

Jay couldn't blame him.

He couldn't blame any of them.

The horrifying events that transpired and subsequently disappeared with Nadakhan were only a few weeks deep in Jay's memory, and he'd yet to tell anyone. Not that he planned to. No, no, never.

He and Nya made a vow to keep it a secret.

It was hard, sometimes.

Jay knew he was adopted. So did his parents. But they didn't know that he knew. There were times—many—when he felt like confronting them about it, but he never got past staring at the phone for a while.

He knew that he was adopted. In some ways, Jay felt like he'd known this for his entire life; he just didn't realize it until Nadakhan made it clear.

When he was little, he knew that there was something off about him, something that didn't match. When he looked at the parents of his classmates, they fit together like pieces of a puzzle, whole and complete. Jay didn't have that harmony; he had a funny side that stuck out from the rest of his puzzle, leading off to a place he didn't know about.

He saw it first in his eyes, which were blue, and dipped down at the ducts, while Ed and Edna's remained leveled. There was also his hair, which was a darker color than both his parents' had been. Then, of course, there was his age.

Ed and Edna were old parents; even he knew this. They were older than the rest of the children's, something he never thought about unless they pointed it out.

Or, until Nadakhan pointed out.

He knew that he was adopted, and perhaps he'd always known. Now, he was aware of a certain part of him that felt…empty.

Not empty as in unfulfilled; he'd had the love of a mother and father throughout his entire life. He'd always had a family, and yet…he still felt that a part of him was vacant; unoccupied.

He wondered what Cliff Gordan would've been like as a father. As _his_ father. Jay wondered what it would've been like to grow up in that fancy mansion, how different things would be today.

Would he sit on the floor, reading his father's legacy in the form of many comic books, or would he read more obscure comics, sick of his father's bombastic popularity?

Would he look up as his father walked into the room, saying with a frown, "Really, Dad? All the kids at school wonder what it's like living with the coolest actor in all of Ninjago, and you walk around in a sweater vest?"

Would his father joke? "What do you want me to wear, leather jackets with studs?"

Would he half-heartedly defend himself? "Sweater vests are peak fashion, Jay, ahead of its time. Trust me, one day everyone in the land will have a sweater vest of their own."

Or would he fuss? Jay didn't know. Jay would never know.

And what of his mother? Would she come home and plant a sloppy kiss on top of his head, or against his cheek?

Would she scoop him up into a big hug, lifting him from the ground even as he grew?

Would she be the envy of his many friends, who all wished to have a mother as cool as his? Would she greet him always with a smile, a wink, and a happy, "What's shakin', bacon?"

Would she hold a lightbulb in her hands and dazzle him with a light show until her powers made the item shatter?

Jay didn't know. Jay would never know.

He'd imagined these scenarios a lot in the past few weeks, but he could never imagine either of them calling him 'son'. That was something for Ed and Edna, for they were his parents.

Cliff Gordan was not.

Though he decided that Ed and Edna were indeed his parents, he still couldn't shake that empty feeling from him. It wasn't a bad feeling; not good, but not bad. He wasn't sure if he would've preferred the vacant space filled with Cliff Gordan and his wife, because he didn't want another spot that lacked Ed and Edna, but he continued to wonder what it would've been like, if he would be better off.

Sometimes he wished that Nadakhan hadn't done this to him, but there were a lot of things he wished Nadakhan hadn't done.

Now, at least, he had a reason for that empty part of him. One he'd never stop wondering about, but an answer he desired all the same.

* * *

 **This one was unusually fun for me.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	15. Fall

Cole's hometown is a shabby place, ornate in style but worn around the edges. Most people tend to view it as a blemish on an otherwise beautiful region of Ninjago, but Jay isn't one to judge—he grew up in a junkyard, for goodness sakes. He has a liking for the little village; it fits the daydreams he kept as a child, the ones where he imagined what it was like to live in a neighborhood, instead of alone out in the desert.

He eyes the overgrown lawns, the weathered buildings, the tacky composition with a faint smile on his lips.

They sit in what seems a public garden—Jay was too busy looking at the buildings to notice what it was—upon a stone bench, waiting for Zane or Nya to swing by with the Bounty to pick them up.

Jay isn't surprised by the good mood he's in; it was a good day.

A tired sun begins its set below the horizon, and Jay bends his head beneath the purple stripes of night to look at the concrete. He wishes the bench was tall enough for him to swing his legs. Today had been a good day, the kind of day where swinging one's legs was warranted.

He's fine with sitting still, though, so long as it doesn't get too cold.

Cole sits next to him, slouching, but not upset. Jay suspects he's just tired.

"You alright?" he says, pulling his knit gloves free from his pocket to wear.

"Yeah," Cole sighs, head lolling back in a lazy stare.

"You happy?"

"Of course."

Jay looks out at the surrounding garden. It's pretty here, he thinks, a place to get lost in. Autumn has set in; he can smell it in the air, see it in the trees, which are red in the middle and orange on top. A breeze rolls by, picking up the brown leaves at their feet and dancing them around in a delicate circle. Jay can't help but grin; he'd never seen sights like this out in the desert.

"I always liked autumn," he says, without thinking, "I liked the colors best."

"Really?" says Cole.

"Funny, right? I never cared for reds, but they always look good this time of year."

Cole sits forward, gazing at the same trees Jay had admired moments before, "I guess."

Jay cocks his head, "You don't think so?"

Cole shrugs, slouching back again, "Autumn makes me sad."

"Why's that?"

"Because," says Cole, "Everything gets all bright and beautiful, then it dies."

Jay frowns, "Nothing dies, Cole. Everything just goes to sleep for a while." Jay prefers to think of it like that. The world sleeps, winter graces its lovely and terrible presence, and the world wakes up again, bright and early and ready for another round.

"I like springtime," continues Cole, sliding his palms across his thighs as he stretches, pushing his feet out and forward. "It's like the earth is saying hello again."

"Springtime gives me allergies," Jay speaks, "Besides," he smirks as he says his next words, "how can you appreciate the springtime's hello without autumn's goodbye?"

"I guess so," Cole looks out towards the sun, sitting low enough over the horizon so the rays don't burn as much as they do in the day. "I like how blue the sky gets in autumn."

Jay quirks an eyebrow, "Is it another color most of the year?"

For once, Cole doesn't chide him for his silly response, and even allows a chuckle. "No," he explains, "I don't think you notice this out in the desert, but here, you get a lot of humidity in the atmosphere for a good chunk of the year. In autumn, all that goes away, and the sky looks rich."

Jay follows his gaze up, admiring the mess of colors waiting for them there.

"Dad explained that to me when I was younger," Cole says, and Jay releases a small smile.

They visited Lou that day. Cole wanted Jay for moral support, and Jay was more than happy to join, more than happy to spend as much time with his friend as he could. It was the first time Cole had gone to see his dad after he'd turned from ghost to human again.

Neither of them had been sure of how the visit would go, which was sad, Jay thought, but it went well. It was good.

The day was good.

"You know," says Cole, "I didn't realize how much I missed his hugs," he breaks off with a laugh, "Funny, huh? I went for years without thinking of it, but as soon as he…"

When Lou had opened the door, he'd swallowed Cole whole into a massive embrace, even looping Jay in, towards the end, holding them in a hug that hurt in the best way possible.

"Being dead really changes your life, Jay," Cole eventually ends with, grinning.

Jay smiles, a little saddened, now, but determined to keep a good mood. Today was a good day.

Night falls, and the Bounty is late. Jay has to pull out his scarf and Cole has to tuck his hands into the space between his arms and torso. As minutes pass and the wind picks up, Jay leans up against his friend, resting his head on Cole's steady shoulder as they look up and stare at the stars, especially bright during this time of year.

Cole tells him the names of some, the names that Lou told him, even giving stories behind each.

Jay smiles, partly because of his friend's words, but also because he's missed this, too.

He never realized how much he leaned on Cole until he couldn't do it anymore. He didn't realize the effect it had on him, the effect it had on Cole, until he was human again.

Jay vows not to let it go unappreciated any longer.

He's tired when the Bounty arrives, and the moment is broken, but he's content.

Today had been a good day.

* * *

 **Not to pull a Porky the Pig here, but that's all folks! I'm capping this at fifteen, so the rejects or extras I have will either be trashed or published under my other oneshot collections.**

 **I want to give you guys my sincerest thanks for taking the time to read, review, and follow this story. You're all seriously the greatest! That being said, do you mind telling me which chapter was your favorite? I have mine, but a writer gets curious, you know?**

 **Anyway, thank you again for reading! Have a fantastic day!**


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